For the program details visit the MWL Guidelines thread in this forum. Please check out as many of the links as you have time for, there is so much here to discover!
A couple of other great resources, for those just starting out, are from Jeff Novick the staff dietician for the program: The Ultimate Guide to Free Calorie Density (MWL) Resources and his 1 hour video explanation on Calorie Density: How to Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer.
Hi All!
It's the beginning of a new month, a time which many people use as a jumping off point to try and get themselves restarted on a path to healthier living. That makes it the perfect time to post yet another newsletter summary of the MWL Program. It's like re-reading a favourite book at this point: calmingly familiar in character, theme and setting, where appreciation of the little nuances becomes the focus with each additional perusal.
So let's learn, share, strategize and, most importantly, lose some weight. I look forward to hearing from you all on Friday!
Amy
Jeff Novick RD wrote:
Maximizing Weight Loss: How To Fine Tune Calorie Density
by Jeff Novick, MS, RD
This note is in response to questions I frequently get about weight loss. The questions usually have to do with not losing weight at all, not losing enough weight or not losing weight fast enough.
Weighing yourself on a scale on a weekly basis is the best method to tell if you are in a negative calorie balance. To do so, weigh yourself on the same scale, in the same place, at the same time, in the same clothes. For the most accurate weight, weigh yourself without clothes on, first thing in the morning after awakening and going to the bathroom.
On average, you should be able to safely and healthfully lose about 1(-2)% of your weight a week and maybe even more. This amount is an average over time and some weeks you will lose more and some weeks will be less. Those who have the most weight to lose, will lose the most weight in the beginning. While 1(-2)% may not seem like much, if you multiply the number out by 12 weeks, 24 weeks or even 52 weeks, this could easily equal 24, 48 or 100 lbs or more.
Now, if you are not losing weight, the first thing to do is to review the principles of calorie density and make sure you understand them and are applying them correctly. You can find these principles outlined in the newsletter, "A Common Sense Approach To Sound Nutrition."
If you are following the principles of calorie density and your excess weight is not coming off as quickly as you would like, then there are some adjustments you can make to what you are doing in regard to the "calories in" and the "calories out" end of the equation.
In regard to calories out, you have three areas you can make adjustments, which are frequency, intensity and time (FIT). You can exercise on more days or more times in a day (Frequency), you can raise the intensity of your exercise (Intensity), and/or you can do it for a longer period of time (Time). For most people, 150 minutes of exercise per week, should be more than enough.
In regard to calories in, you can lower the calorie density of the diet, by shifting the composition of your meals to include more foods that are the lowest in calorie density (vegetables, salads, soups, etc). Make sure 1/3 to 1/2 of the visual volume of all your meals are low calorie dense vegetables. The other 1/2- 2/3 should be unrefined, un-(or minimally)-processed complex carbohydrates (legumes, intact whole grains, starchy vegetables.
In addition, you can make the following modifications:
- Salt: For many people, salt seems to act as an appetite stimulant. So, the less you salt your food, the less people tend to eat.
- Variety: For many people, having a variety of foods available at each meal also seems to encourage over consumption. Therefore, the less variety at a meal, the less food consumed.
- Raw Foods: Foods you can eat raw tend to be lower in calorie density and may not digest as efficiently as cooking helps the digestion process.
- Sequencing: Eat the lowest calorie dense foods first. This fills you up so you eat less of the higher calorie dense foods.
- Avoid (or strictly limit):
- all higher fat, calorie dense plant foods (nuts, seeds, oils, avocados,
tofu, etc.)
- all refined processed grains & starches that are higher in calorie density
(breads, bagels, crackers, cookies, dry cereal, tortilla's etc & anything
made from ground up flour) even if they are whole grain.
- all concentrated sugars/sweeteners (sugar, brown sugar, agave, honey,
molasses, date sugar, etc) even if they are natural and organic
- all dried and dry fruits (raisins, dates, figs, etc)
- all liquid calories (juice, non-dairy milks, etc)
If you follow the principles of calorie density and make the necessary adjustments as needed, you will lose weight in a healthy way at a healthy rate.
In Health
Jeff
Maximizing Weight Loss: How to Fine Tune Calorie Density
Here are the standard monthly instructions for participating in this thread:
Our weigh in's are on Fridays and you have until 12 PM PST on Saturday to report.
Anyone is welcome to join the weekly weigh in group as long as they follow the McDougall principles. We recommend following the Maximum Weight Loss (MWL) plan or the Mary's Mini's Plan.
There is a sticky at the top of this forum on the guidelines for the MWL program.
In order to tally the results please submit your results by posting the total pounds you have lost or gained that week. You don't have to share your total weight if you'd rather keep that to yourself. This is an honor system so we take the gain, loss or maintain you give us in order to tally. (Please make a new post each week)
If you are a new member and would like to join but don't have a weight to be counted for the week then you will be counted either as a body with a zero starting weight, or when you check in for the weekly weigh in the following week. Large amounts of weight lost over a period of months or weeks, prior to joining the weekly weigh in group, will not be counted towards the weekly total.
If you measure your weight in something other than pounds please convert the measurement to pounds.
All gains will be counted towards the total to encourage weekly participation. Posting is encouraged whether it's a gain, a loss, or a maintain.
You are welcome to share as little or as much as you want on your weight loss journey here in this thread. We encourage members of the group to talk to each other, cheer each other on and set goals together.
This thread is for the mutual support of all who wish to participate.
Sent from my iPad
!!
last week when I discovered I can now eat bananas without feeling sick and having joint pain. It gave me hope that I might be able to eat other foods I've been so sensitive to and had cut out of my diet over the years. I love oatmeal with blueberries, so yesterday I tried oatmeal again. I did okay with it. I had a little joint pain in my fingers, but not as much as I used to have. I'll try white potatoes again soon, to see how I do with those. I never dreamed this WOE might help me overcome food sensitivities I've lived with for over thirty years! Obviously something inside of me is changing. I couldn't be happier. 
and is willing to try it for ten days. I wish she had said a month, but I'll take what I can get! Her doctor thinks she has Parkinson's. She has been falling down a lot. She is 68, three years younger than myself. She's on numerous medications, which I can't remember the names at the moment, they seem to change every other week. She asked me yesterday if she started eating the McDougall plan would she have to give up her daily Coke Zero. I honestly didn't have a clue what Coke Zero is, but I knew if it's Coke, it's a no-no. So, I looked it up and found it has Aspartame as an ingredient. The last thing someone who might have Parkinson's needs is Aspartame! I tried Aspartame as a sugar substitute, probably 40 years ago for the first time. It sent me to bed with a migraine that I remember vividly to this day. I didn't connect it to the Aspartame until I had it again another day, with the same result. I haven't touched the stuff since then. Later, I read about the dangers of it, but I already knew from personal experience. Fingers crossed, that my sister discovers the benefits of eating this way within her ten day trial and will continue.
